Ezekiel 43 – “A Vision of the Temple – Part IV”

Ezekiel sees Yahweh’s glory enter the temple. Yahweh tells Ezekiel to teach the people the temple’s measurements. Ezekiel is also told the measurements of the altar and how to consecrate it with seven days of sacrifices.

II. Photo

Ezekiel experiences Yahweh’s glory: “And there, coming from the east… was the presence of the God of Israel, and the earth was lit up by his presence.” (v. 2)

III. Select Verses

1-3: Then he led me to a gate, the gate that faced east. And there, coming from the east with a roar like the roar of mighty waters, was the Presence of the God of Israel, and the earth was lit up by His Presence. The vision was like the vision I had seen when I came to destroy the city, the very same vision that I had seen by the Chebar Canal. Forthwith, I fell on my face.

5: A spirit carried me into the inner court, and lo, the Presence of the LORD filled the Temple

7a: It said to me: O mortal, this is the place of My throne and the place for the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people Israel forever.

7b-9: The House of Israel and their kings must not again defile My holy name by their apostasy and by the corpses of their kings at their death. When they placed their threshold next to My threshold and their doorposts next to My doorposts with only a wall between Me and them, they would defile My holy name by the abominations that they committed, and I consumed them in My anger.

10-11: [Now] you, O mortal, describe the Temple to the House of Israel, and let them measure its design. But let them be ashamed of their iniquities: When they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the plan of the Temple and its layout, its exits and entrances — its entire plan, and all the laws and instructions pertaining to its entire plan. Write it down before their eyes, that they may faithfully follow its entire plan and all its laws.

18-19: Then he said to me: O mortal, thus said the Lord GOD: These are the directions for the altar on the day it is erected, so that burnt offerings may be offered up on it and blood dashed against it. You shall give to the levitical priests who are of the stock of Zadok, and so eligible to minister to Me — declares the Lord GOD — a young bull of the herd for a sin offering.

26-27: Seven days they shall purge the altar and cleanse it; thus shall it be consecrated. And when these days are over, then from the eighth day onward the priests shall offer your burnt offerings and your offerings of well-being on the altar; and I will extend My favor to you — declares the Lord GOD.

IV. Outline

1-3. Ezekiel sees Yahweh’s glory coming from the east

4-5. Yahweh’s glory enters the temple

6-27. Yahweh’s speech

6. Introduction

7a. The temple is Yahweh’s dwelling place forever

7b-9. The royal houses and cemeteries must be separate from the temple

10-12. Command to teach Israel the temple’s measurements and to shame them

13-17. The measurements of the altar

18-27. Instructions for the altar’s consecration

18. Introduction

19-21. A bull sin offering by the Zadokite priests

22. A goat sin offering

23-24. A bull and ram as complete burnt offerings

25-26. 7 days of goat, bull, and ram sin offerings

27. On the 8th day other sacrifices can be brought

V. Comment

For a helpful video explaining the first half of this chapter, see Bibliaprints.com. Part of the video can be seen here: